Angelonia plant named ‘Anpinkim’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Angelonia  plant named ‘Anpinkim’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly slanting plant habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; large light red purple-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Angelonia hybrid.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ANPINKIM’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Angelonia plant, botanically known as Angelonia hybrid, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Anpinkim’.

The new Angelonia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Dresden, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and freely-flowering Angelonia plants with attractive flower coloration.

The new Angelonia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor during the summer of 2007 in Dresden, Germany of two unnamed proprietary selections of Angelonia hybrida, not patented. The new Angelonia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Dresden, Germany during the summer of 2008.

Asexual reproduction of the new Angelonia plant by cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Dresden, Germany since December, 2008, has shown that the unique features of this new Angelonia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Angelonia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Anpinkim’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Anpinkim’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Angelonia plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and outwardly slanting plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large light red purple-colored flowers.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Angelonia differ from plants of the parent selections primarily in plant and flowering habit as plants of the new Angelonia are more freely branching and freely flowering than plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Angelonia can be compared to plants of Angelonia hybrid ‘Anpink’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,818. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Dresden, Germany, plants of the new Angelonia and ‘Anpink’ differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Angelonia were shorter than plants of         ‘Anpink’.     -   2. Plants of the new Angelonia had broader leaves than plants of         ‘Anpink’.     -   3. Plants of the new Angelonia flowered earlier than plants of         ‘Anpink’.     -   4. Plants of the new Angelonia had larger flowers than plants of         ‘Anpink’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Angelonia plant, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Angelonia plant.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Anpinkim’.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Anpinkim’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and the following observations, measurements and values were grown during the winter and spring in 13-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Dresden, Germany and under typical commercial cultural practices. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 20° C., night temperatures averaged 16° C. and light levels ranging from 15 kilolux to 100 kilolux. Plants were pinched twice, two and five weeks after planting. Plants were five months old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Angelonia hybrida ‘Anpinkim’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Angelonia hybrida, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Angelonia hybrida, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 20 days at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About four weeks at             20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/habit.—Herbaceous perennial; compact, upright and             outwardly slanting plant habit; broad inverted triangle;             freely branching habit; when pinched, about five lateral             branches develop per plant; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 50 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 30 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 45 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Internode length: About 2 cm. Strength: Moderately strong to             strong. Texture: Pubescent; viscid. Color: Close to 144A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, decussate; simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 2 cm to 7 cm.         -   Width.—About 1 cm to 2 cm.         -   Shape.—Oblong.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous; viscid.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to 137A; venation, close to 137A. Developing leaves,             lower surface: Close to 137B; midvein, close to 145B;             lateral veins, close to 137B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type/habit.—Single flowers arranged in terminal             racemes; flowers face mostly outwardly; freely flowering             habit; dense inflorescences.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Early flowering habit, plants             begin flowering about ten weeks after planting; in the             garden, flowering is continuous from mid-May until frost in             Central Europe.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about 20 days on the             plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Shape: Globose. Color: Close to 138A.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 15 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 7 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 3 cm by 3 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 1 cm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl; petals fused at the base into a tubular throat.             Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 1.7 cm. Shape: Roughly             spatulate. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: When             opening and fully opened, upper surface: Lighter than 68B.             When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Lighter than             68B. Throat: Lighter than 68B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl. Length: About 3 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Ovate             to elliptic. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 139A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle:             Outward to slightly upright, less than 90° from vertical.             Strength: Moderately strong; flexible. Texture: Pubescent;             viscid. Color: Close to 200D.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             four. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament color: Close to             155D. Anther shape: Elliptic. Anther length: About 2 mm.             Anther color: Brown. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color:             Close to 155D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil             length: About 5 mm. Stigma shape: Tapering. Stigma color:             Close to 155D. Style length: About 2 mm. Style color: Close             to 155D. Ovary color: Close to 145D.         -   Fruits.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Color:             Close to 177B.         -   Seeds.—Quantity per flower: About 30 to 50. Length: Less             than 1 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Color: Light brown. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Angelonia have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Angelonia. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Angelonia have been observed     to have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures ranging from about 1° C. to 30° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Angelonia plant named ‘Anpinkim’ as illustrated and described. 